Cultivator



(No Model.)

E. s. & 0. R BROWN.

OULTIVATOR. I No. 358,013. Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA S. BROWN AND CHARLES R. BROW'N, OF SANTA ROSA, MISSOURI.

CULTIVATC) R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358.013, dated February22,1887.

Application filed December 27, 1886. Serial No. 222,528. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

] rests upon the front edge of such standard. A

Be it known that we, ELISHA S. BROWN and bolt, 5, passes through thestandard and the CHARLES R. BRowN, of Santa Rosa, in the county ofDeKalb and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the presentinvention is to provide simple and effectivemeans for attaching cultivatorshovels to their beams or standards, andto permit said shovels to yield or vibrate when obstructions areencountered in the performance of the work.

It has heretofore been proposed to attach a cultivator-shovel to afoot-piece which is pivotally connected with the stock or standardtermination of the beam, and has a curved plate-spring made to bear uponsuch pivoted foot-piece, so as to hold the shovel properly to its workso long as no obstacles are met in its path, and allow it to turn oryield when astone, root, or other object strikes against the shovel. Amode of attachment of the character mentioned is set forth in Patent No.338,709, granted to us March 30, 1886.

Our invention is designed as an improvement upon the construction shownin such patent; and it consists in the general construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter morefully de scribed, and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofacultivator-beam, showing our means of attaching the shovel thereto andholding it to its work. Fig. 2 is a similar view representing the shovelswung backward to clear an obstruction. Fig. 3 is a detail view of theshovel foot or support with its projecting ratchet-plates. Fig. 4 is adetail view of the spring and pivoted stirrup or loop.

The reference-numeral 1 denotes a metal beam, which is designed to beattached to the frame of acultivatorand has its rear portion curveddownward, so as to form a standard or stock, 2, as is common incultivators of many types. This standard portion of the beam carries afoot or holder, 3, for the shovel 4. This foot 3 is composed ofplate-metal bent to form two side cheeks and a front wall, and open atthe back. The side cheeks embrace the standard 2, and the front wall ofthe foot side cheeks of the shovel-bearing foot at or near the middle ofthe length of said foot, and this bolt constitutes the fulcrum uponwhich the foot 3can turn or work. The shovel lrests upon the front wallof the foot 4., and is secured thereto by abolt, 8, which passes throughthe foot at a point below the end of the stand ard 2, and receives anut, 9, at its rear end. This nut rests upon the rear edges of the sidechecks of the shovel-holder, and hence the bolt is securely held inplace.

A lug or projection on the shovel may also pass through a slot in theshovel holder and serve as an additional fastening medium. Fitted uponthe ends of the bolt 5,which pivotally connects the shovel-holder to thestandard, are oblique projecting plates 10, which'bear against the sidecheeks of the shovel-holder, and are connected by a pin or rivet, 12,passing through the plates 10, and resting upon the front surface of theshovel holder. These plates 10 are provided with ratchet-teeth 10 ontheir front edges, and, as already stated, they extend obliquely in aforward direction from the shovel-holder. The plates 10 are also madetapering, the widest portion being at the top and the narrowest at thebottom. A stirrup or metal loop or link, 13, carried by a plate or leafspring, 14, embraces the standard and the toothed plates 10, and thecross-barof said stirrup bears upon the front edges of the untoothedportion of the plates 10, or it can be made to engage either of thenotches formed by the teeth on the plates. The stirrup 13 has the endsof its side bars shaped into eyes 13, and these fit on apintle or bolt,16, inserted in a tubeshaped terminal ,17 ,of the spring 14. The ends ofthe pintle or bolt 16 are riveted or otherwise fastened upon the eyes onthe stirrup 13, so that the latter will be retained in place, but canalso swing or turn upon the pintles.

The spring 14 is preferably made of several superposed leaves or plates,similar to a car riage-spring, and at its thicker or reenforced portionthese leaves are retained between a clip, 20, having an eye, 20, throughwhich passes a elevis-bolt, 21. This bolt embraces the beam 1 and restsupon grooved fillingblocks 22 at the sides of such beam. Thescrewthreaded ends of the branches of the clevis- ISO bolt receive nuts23, which bear upon a plate, 24, fitted on the clevis-bolt and restingagainst the under side of the beam. By such means the spring 14. isfirmly secured to thebeam,and is effectually prevented from slippingthereon, no matter what may be the strain to which the spring issubjected in the use of the cultivator.

It will be understood that the swinging stirrup carried by the free endof the spring rests upon the plates 10, and that consequently theshovel-holderv is forcibly drawn toward the standard or stock. Duringthe performance of work in loose ground, or in the soil free ofobstructions, the shovel becomes practically a rigid or fixed body,since the spring and stirrup operate in the manner already stated. When,however, a resistance-body is encountered, liable to stop the progressof the cultivator and injure the parts, the pressure of the spring isovercome and the shovel-foot will swing backward and throw the shovelinto the position shown in Fig. 2. By such movement the obstacle ispassed, and immediately after such passage the shovel swings again intoits normal or working position,as is shown in Fig. 1. Itbecomesnecessary to adjust the pressure of the spring upon the shovel accordingto the nature of thegroundin which itis to work,and for other reasons.This adjustment is effected by shifting the stirrup along the toothedplates, it being understood that when the stirrup is straight or nearlystraight, by reason of its engagement with some of the upper teeth onthe plates, the pressure of the spring will be greater than if thestirrup is inclined and rests upon the narrowestportions of the plates10. A hole, 25, may be made in the shovel support and standard for thepassage of a bolt, 26, to rigidly lock the said parts together, ifdesired.

Having thus fully described our invention and the best way known to usfor carrying the same into effect, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination, with the beam, standard, and spring carryingapivoted stirrup, of the shovel-holder pivotally connected with thestandard, the toothed plates projecting obliquely from saidshovel-holder, and the stirrup engaging with said plates, substantiallyas herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the beam and standard, of a pivotedshovel-holder having teeth or projections, the spring secured to thebeam, the stirrup or loop hung on the spring and engaging with the teethor projections on the shovel-holder, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 24th day ofDecember, 1886.

ELISHA S. BROWN. CHARLES R. BROWN.

WVitnesses:

CHAS. E. HILL, LESTER O. CARPENTER.

